Devils' Hunger is Satisfied

4:56 PMAleks Vee

Manchester United is a team that tends to always meet or exceed expectations, so it was a bit of a shock that the Red Devils didn't quite achieve what they were hoping for during the first ten minutes. A free kick by Stoke City's Charlie Adam accidentally became an own goal by Wayne Rooney. The situation is not uncommon - a player going in to defend the ball in front of the net is always putting himself up to an unnecessary ricochet. United were pretty quick to take back the game at Old Trafford, and Rooney soon saw his first career goal against Stoke, a brilliant header from an RVP delivery. Neither the denied penalties nor Paul Scholes' near-elimination had any effect on Fergie's team. Valencia's cross seemingly nutmegged a defender, giving the always ambitious Robin van Persie his 8th goal in a United jersey with a brilliant one-touch finish.

It didn't take long for Fergie's spidey senses to kick in. No sooner was the second half underway than United were scoring. Rooney's cross from the right flank gave Danny Welbeck a diving header to propel the ball into the far post. RVP was down in the box, but United managed to only get a corner. Stoke's keeper Asmir Begovic nicely saved Johnny Evans's close-range header, temporarily halting United's goal-scoring frenzy. Two consecutive combinations by the home team couldn't find their way into the net, leaving Stoke with an opportunity. With three defenders ahead of him, Michael Kightly managed to push past and got his left-footed shot in despite De Gea's diving effort. It was a surprising return for Stoke, who up till then hadn't really been in the game. Rooney ultimately had the final word in this match. In true United spirit, the hair-plugged striker landed one more goal himself, the 200th in his career, from an RVP corner delivery. He had an odd hat-trick of sorts, but more than made up for his accident at the start of the game. Though a few players were clearly still exhausted from National Team duty, the team played their usual solid match. The refereeing was questionable at times, not only for United but for Stoke as well. Of course, the one thing Fergie's team needs to look out for now is any sort of defensive mishaps. The three-against-one scenario should have ended in their favor. But the great thing about United is as always their ability to bounce back in the game, and today was no exception.

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Founder and Editor

Aleks V is a NYC-based multimedia storyteller. Her 7 years in sports include contributing to various online and print media, including FourFourTwo and PRWeek, working for FC Dynamo Moscow and the New York Cosmos, and being featured on SB Nation. Since 2011, she runs the GoalChatter soccer blog and has also produced, written, and hosted a weekly radio show of the same name. Her diverse background includes graphic design, photography, and video production/editing. She is also an award-winning writer on Comedywire and has performed at Gotham Comedy Club.